


Blind And Childish (I Won't Fight It)

by joidianne4eva



Category: Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-27
Updated: 2014-04-27
Packaged: 2018-01-21 00:39:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1531652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joidianne4eva/pseuds/joidianne4eva
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where omegas and alphas are supposed to have a fairytale ending Elmont only wants to be left alone so that he can do his job right. He doesn't want to deal with the newly crowned king who just happens to be Isabelle's love interest. He isn't too keen on the omega ball and he certainly doesn't want an alpha.</p><p>Sadly no one told fate that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blind And Childish (I Won't Fight It)

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thanks to Cougars_catnip and el_gilliath for the read through and beta and for sticking with me through this crazy idea to write in such a tiny fandom. 
> 
> Also massive thanks to KarneolVision for the awesome art work.

Elmont wasn’t a man who put much faith in trivial things like karma; however he was starting to think that his viewpoint might have been slightly skewered because obviously karma held nothing but hatred for him. That was the only thing that could explain his current predicament and honestly if karma hated him, then the feeling was mutual!

Elmont was a man who believed that anything he received had to be worked for.As far as he was concerned nothing should be gained without blood or sweat being shed in the endeavour. It was this thought that had carried him through his training. He was well aware that there were many that believed that an omega, not to mention an unbonded omega, should never be the head of the king’s guard but Elmont paid the whispers little mind.

There was hardly any distinction between the alpha, omega and beta class, the only privilege was that as an alpha or omega a person had more of a claim to nobility than those classified as betas.

After the fiasco with the giants, King Eric had realized the potential of the monks’ magic and he’d utilized it to the best of his ability. There were no longer rampant ruts that sent alphas seeking out any willing or unwilling omega. Omegas weren’t ambushed during their heats or kept as nothing but brood mares. King Eric had seen to that. The monks weren’t willing to change everything but they had allowed the freedom of choice, something that Elmont was thankful for because he would have gladly chosen death over dishonour. The monks’ spell was simple and yet infinitely complex at the same time but the main gist of it was that the only person that affected an alpha’s rut or an omega’s heat was their chosen.

It sounded like a fairytale and Elmont’s mother had often waxed poetic about who his alpha would be but Elmont had been well aware of how slim the chances were that he would ever find said magical person. It didn’t help that Elmont was actively trying to _not_ find his alpha. He’d signed up for the king’s guard as soon as he was old enough and he’d clawed his way to the top, not even pausing to second guess the suppressants that they had given to him. As far as he was concerned being the best at what he was, was the only thing that mattered and it had continued to be the only thing that mattered until those damn beans reared their ugly heads.

Honestly if anyone had asked Elmont he would have told them that Roderick was a snivelling piece of horse manure who wasn’t even fit to kiss Princess Isabelle’s feet but no one had asked him so Elmont had kept his mouth shut. He hadn’t been the least bit surprised when Roderick had turned on them all, what had surprised him was how the man had done it. Another thing that had surprised him was Jack.

Thinking of Jack made Elmont’s lip curl in a tiny sneer that he wiped the second that his second in command cleared his throat. Elmont glanced at the man, Joseph was no Crawe but as an omega himself the man seemed more attuned to Elmont’s emotions than his best friend had been.

“One of these days the princess is going to see you glaring at her intended and she’s going to start thinking you don’t like the lad,” Joseph teased but Elmont merely rolled his eyes.

As if anyone would believe that someone could exist and not like Jack. The young man was like an overgrown puppy, constantly under foot but so damn loyal that just the thought of kicking him made bile rise in Elmont’s throat.

Elmont rubbed at his temple as he stared out at the courtyard where the princess and her father were talking, their heads bent close together. Jack was nowhere in sight and that in itself wasn’t uncommon. For the last few weeks their new honorary king had been ill or so the rumour went but Elmont wasn’t stupid.

He’d passed Jack’s rooms and heard the crashing from within but the most important thing had been the scent which led back to Elmont’s current predicament. It seemed that their new king was a late bloomer and on top of that, Jack’s scent wasn’t one of an omega. The fact that Isabelle wasn’t glued to Jack’s side meant two things; the princess wasn’t Jack’s omega and Jack had already come in contact with his other half or he wouldn’t be reacting so strongly to his dynamic surfacing.

The entire debacle meant that someone would have to go search the castle top to bottom to find said omega and Elmont had a fairly good clue of who would be stuck with that job.

“Do you think that I could take a leave of absence?” Elmont asked but Joseph just snorted as he came closer. Elmont could smell the man’s alpha on his skin and it made something curl unpleasantly in his chest but Elmont squashed the feeling immediately because he was on suppressants, he didn’t have the time to be craving some stranger who he probably would never meet. He had a purpose here and if that purpose suddenly meant that he’d have to track down some mystery omega then so be it.

If nothing else it would give him some time to think. He wasn’t getting any younger and the longer he waited the less likely that he would ever be able to start a family of his own. Perhaps helping to find Jack’s omega would allow him to view some of the potential betas that he’d never paid much attention to before. Elmont had long decided that if he was ever going to be bound to someone he wanted a beta because betas were safe. There was no threat of bonding to them and if it didn’t work Elmont would be able to walk away unscarred.

And if the image of his yet to be found partner was tall with black hair and the reddest lips Elmont had ever seen on a man then that was his own business.

“If your sudden need for a leave of absence has something to do with the posters the king has been commissioning then I’d say you’re out of luck,” Joseph responded snapping the younger omega from his thoughts and Elmont frowned at the older man.

“What posters?” he demanded but Joseph just smirked.

Elmont was certain that there were days when he shouldn’t have gotten out of bed and this was shaping up to be one of them…he could feel it in his bones.

*O*

Two weeks and a few grey hairs later found Elmont in the throne room pleading his case because he wouldn’t be attending this farce unless he’d exhausted every avenue of escape first.

“Sire, surely you can see why it would be much more efficient for me to serve as a guard instead of attending this _ceremony_ as a simple patron,” Elmont entreated as he stood before King Brahmwell. He probably could have been a bit more diplomatic about the phrasing of his words but there was no hope of him keeping his disdain out of his tone. Not when he would have to spend an entire afternoon trussed up like a chicken just to be pawed at by hopeful alphas. Alphas that Elmont wanted to have nothing to do with.

The King narrowed his eyes and Elmont fought the urge to fidget under the man’s knowing gaze even as a part of him pointed out the fact that the King had little idea of what he was going through. As a beta himself the man had never had to deal with the stigma attached to being an omega, not that there _was_ much stigma but Elmont wasn’t above using his status to get his own way.

“I’m certain that you’re well aware that every alpha and omega in this city will be attending. This is a chance for you to mingle and who knows, you might even find your own alpha somewhere in the crowd,” the king laughed and Elmont barely managed to reign in the grimace that was trying to twist his expression.

“But what of the security….” Elmont started. The king merely waved him off.

“Joseph will be in charge for the night, unless you believe that he can’t handle it,” the man prompted and Elmont frowned because of course Joseph could handle the brunt of his work, the point was that he didn’t _want_ Joseph to handle the brunt of his work. He also didn’t want to attend this idiotic ceremony in the first place but there was no way that he could say that now without casting ill light on Joseph’s reputation and he’d never stoop that low.

The king seemed to take his silence as agreement because the man continued, pulling Elmont from his morose musings. “You’ve been one of my best guards and I can’t thank you enough for aiding in the efforts to bring Isabelle back to me but I also will not hide you away here,” the man paused with a tiny smirk that Elmont didn’t appreciate in the least. “I wasn’t pleased when Jack didn’t immediately go to Isabelle when his rut began but as my daughter isn’t as heartbroken as I’d expected I won’t hold it against the lad.”

Elmont swallowed around the lump in his throat as he nodded. “Jack would never have led the Princess on,” he agreed.

“I’m aware,” the King mused. “But perhaps we were the only blind ones as Isabelle didn’t seem very surprised by Jack’s rejection almost as if she was expecting it and an omega always knows.”

Elmont wrinkled his nose because the last thing he wanted to be doing was discussing other people’s potential bondmates especially not when he was trying to avoid finding one of his own. “You must excuse me, Sire. I’d like to run a few more rounds before the party,” Elmont stated and the King gestured for him to go, his eyes fixed on something in the far distance though the smile on his face made shivers skitter down Elmont’s spine.

Spinning on his heel he strode from the throne room.

He would survive the night, he could guarantee that much. Anything else was up to chance.

*O*

To Elmont the patrons attending the ceremony looked like peacocks, very fancy peacocks who he’d like to strangle if any of them came to close. Thankfully no one noticed him or his murderous thoughts hidden as he was in the shadows of the alcove that he’d claimed as his own.

The doors to the main hall had barely opened when people started flooding in. Alphas, Betas _and_ Omegas made up the crowd in equal amount. From what Elmont could see anyone who was unbonded and over the age of maturity was here and he had to fight to not bare his teeth.

Mere months ago not one of these people would have looked twice in Jack’s direction and now they were all here clamouring for a chance to the be named his bondmate.  

It seemed that a shiny crown upon one’s head and the title of Giant Slayer was enough to make anyone overlook the lad’s peasant background. Not that Elmont cared because who Jack chose was just that…his choice and anything that kept the new alpha out of Elmont’s way was good enough for him.

“An expression like that isn’t going to win you an alpha, you know?”

Elmont didn’t even start as Joseph slid into the shadows with him, though he did acknowledge his second.

“Joseph,” he greeted ignoring Joseph’s scoff of amusement.

“When the King ordered you….”

“He asked…” Elmont interrupted but Joseph just continued speaking as if he’d never said a word.

“….to come to this little ceremony, I highly doubt that he meant you were supposed to be hidden away for the entire night,” the older omega finished with a smirk.

“I am not hiding,” Elmont retorted but Joseph’s cocked brow said just how much the man believed that. “Simply because I’m not down there swanning about, does not mean that I’m hiding,” Elmont hissed out from between gritted teeth.

Joseph hummed under his breath. “That is true but the fact that you are in fact _hiding_ in the shadows does.”

Elmont’s lips curled into a rueful grin as he shook his head because he knew that Joseph wasn’t going to leave him alone about the matter. It was that very tenacity that had made him promote the man to his current position. Elmont regretted it every day but he wouldn’t change his decision for anything.

“And where is your alpha tonight while you’re antagonizing me?” he queried.

Joseph shot him a look that made it obvious that he’d noticed Elmont’s attempt to change the topic but thankfully the man didn’t call him on it. “Marie is spending the afternoon with the boys. She’s been complaining lately that she doesn’t get to see them half as much as she’d like to and seeing as she’s already mated she didn’t see any reason for her to attend this ceremony.” Joseph responded like he was quoting the words from his memory and Elmont smirked because he probably was.

“She didn’t want to find a new dress did she?”

“She said that the seamstress was the spawn of the devil and if she had to be poked and prodded it would be for an occasion that she couldn’t get out of,” Joseph responded with a small shrug.

Elmont shook his head because he could just imagine the look on Marie’s face as she groused about dresses and everything else expected of her. As the King’s primary physician she usually had to attend every function just in case something happened and she let everyone, the King included, know exactly how she felt about being smothered by trails of fabric that would have been better suited for curtains or bedding.

Elmont liked Marie; she was practical and less overbearing than many of the alphas he’d encountered. The woman wasn’t bothered that her omega’s job could be considered dangerous, instead she’d supported Joseph every step of the way.

She was a rare find and Elmont had no hope of finding anyone that tolerant especially not in the social circles that he was a part of.

Sighing he glanced out at the crowd who were starting to gravitate towards the front of the ballroom.

“You do realise that if you went down there and let yourself be seen then you could probably slip away as soon as they presented Jack to the court?” Joseph offered up and when Elmont glanced at the man he was watching him with a look that Elmont couldn’t quite place though it made him uncomfortable nonetheless.

“You’re right,” he conceded before straightening from his slouch and running a quick hand over his clothes to ensure that everything was still in place. “Wish me luck.”

Joseph’s smile was unnerving as he glanced up at the podium where the King had just stood, a sign that the new alpha was almost ready to make an appearance. “I have a feeling that you won’t be needing it,” he muttered softly, slipping further into the shadows before Elmont could ask what he meant by that.

*O*

Elmont wrinkled his nose as yet another alpha passed him, nostrils flaring until Elmont stared the woman down. She cocked her brow but inclined her head in understanding as she vanished back into the crowd.

He’d been down here for mere minutes and he already wanted to strangle most of the buffoons around him, preferably with his bare hands.

The vivid colours of the clothing made his eyes water sympathetically and the vague miasma of scents had him itching with the need to cover his nose or bare his teeth to tell the people to back off and give him some breathing room.

He’d already seen several couples locate each other in the chaos and Elmont applauded their superior scenting capability because the only thing that he could smell was desperation and greed.

Glancing up at the throne he grimaced when he realised that the King was still waiting.

Trust Jack to be the only alpha who wasn’t rearing to attend his own maturity ceremony.

Accepting a goblet from a passing servant Elmont sipped at the cool wine, letting the liquid wash over his tongue as he tried to calm his temper.

Finally a fanfare erupted from the front of the room and Elmont let the crowd surge around him as he slipped to the back watching while the curtains behind the throne opened and Isabelle walked out.

She was resplendent in an emerald gown that made her skin glow and Elmont smiled as her gaze met his over the heads of the other patrons. The king was right, Isabelle wasn’t heartbroken in the slightest, neither did she seem concerned for Jack, which meant that she knew exactly who the man’s omega was.

Wrinkling his nose Elmont raised a brow when Isabelle stepped back into the dark passageway that was hidden behind the drapes. This time when she emerged Jack was with her and Elmont took a long sip of his wine to mask his surprise though the exclamations of the crowd were less easily disguised.

Elmont had always been peripherally aware that Jack was tall, taller than him in any case but now with the slouch gone the lad seemed like a proverbial giant when compared to Isabelle.

Blue eyes that had once been downcast and shy now roamed over the crowd with little fear and Elmont noticed the way that several of the omegas _and_ alphas shivered when Jack’s gaze settled on them.

Whatever Marie had to say about the royal seamstress, the woman had clearly done her best when she’d created Jack’s garbs. The blend of darkness and scarlet red made the alpha stand out even more than the crown on his head and when Jack’s full lips quirked into what could only be described as a smirk Elmont was fairly certain that several of those in attendance swayed on their feet.

Rolling his eyes Elmont listened with half an ear as the king introduced Jack to the court, he even managed a clap when the applause around him rose in thunderous rolls but he didn’t step into the line that formed immediately after.

He didn’t need the lad to scent him to know that they weren’t a compatible match; after all he’d spent over seven months in the man’s company. If Jack was his alpha he would’ve known it.

Instead Elmont took the time to join the already coupled pairs that were picking food from the banquet table at the edge of the floor.

Every so often a hush would fall over the crowd making Elmont pause but it was quickly followed by the relieved twitters of the still waiting patrons and soon the tension in his shoulders melted away.

It had never been a certainty that Jack would scent his omega amongst the crowd. There was still the possibility that he or she hadn’t matured yet or that they simply weren’t present in the room for one reason or another.

Humming to himself Elmont moved further down the table in a move that put even more distance between him and the others.

It was like his mother used to say ‘What would be, would be,’ If Jack’s omega was in the crowd then he would find him, if not then the boy would most likely begin searching for him or her outside of the kingdom. As long as Elmont wasn’t dragged into that particular quest then he didn’t see a reason why he should be concerned of the outcome either way.

*O*

Elmont was pleasantly full and rather drowsy by the time that the crowd began to disperse and the music from the travelling musicians that the king had hired drifted through the hall.

From his perch at the edge of the floor Elmont could see Isabelle and Jack talking, dark heads bent together and he smiled wistfully because they truly would have made a beautiful couple but fate was rarely that kind.

Whatever they were talking about seemed to be distressing Jack because the lad’s eyes kept shifting away from Isabelle to sweep the hall as if he was looking for something and Elmont’s heart went out to the young prince…king? It still wasn’t exactly clear what Jack’s title was but Elmont was sorry to see that the man hadn’t managed to find his partner.

Isabelle’s face lit up when she caught sight of him and Elmont felt his lips curling into a smile as she made her way towards him, towing Jack along with her.

They were mere feet away when the scent hit Elmont like a slap to the face and from the way that Jack’s dark eyes focused on him Elmont realized that he wasn’t the only one who’d noticed it.

A part of him wanted to run, to leave because this wasn’t supposed to happen. Jack was meant for Isabelle or some unknown omega but the scent of trees and _home_ flooding the air told Elmont that regardless of what he’d wanted this was happening and a good knight stood firm in the face of uncertainty.

Forcing himself to focus on Isabelle Elmont tried desperately to ignore the way that the air seemed to be crackling around him. It felt like he’d been caught out in a lightning storm. Every hair on his body was standing on end and Jack’s presence loomed in his periphery like a thunder cloud.

“Princess,” Elmont greeted with a slight bow.

Isabelle smiled in response, her gaze darting from him to Jack who was watching Elmont like a fox that had just managed to locate a few stray hens. Elmont kept his back straight and his eyes focused slightly over the younger man’s shoulder when he turned to greet the alpha.

“Jack,” he murmured, thankful for the calmness of his tone even though his heart was fluttering like a caught bird in his chest. “I hope the ceremony was adequate,” he offered up.

Jack opened his mouth as if to answer before he shut it with a snap, his nostrils flaring and Elmont knew that there was no possibility that the other man couldn’t scent him just as easily as Elmont could smell Jack.

“It…It’s not as if I expected to ever have one so yes… satisfactory,” Jack spluttered out finally, his face flushing a dark red at the brokenness of his speech but Elmont was too surprised that Jack was even attempting speech, instead of just announcing their claim to the court, to react.

Isabelle’s eyes narrowed as her gaze swung back to Elmont. “I was just saying how much of a bother it was that Jack hasn’t found his partner yet. I think that he’s scented almost every omega in the kingdom but none of them were just right. Isn’t that what you said, Jack?” she prodded and Elmont loved Isabelle like a sister, he truly did but in that moment he wanted nothing more than to reach out and wring her neck.

Jack blinked slowly like he was coming out of a trance when the princess not so gently elbowed him in the side.

“I….yes,” he agreed, rubbing a hand across the back off his neck in a habit that all the king’s private tutors had tried desperately to break him of. “I think a few of them were almost it but they weren’t mine, they didn’t smell like mine,” he finished on a whisper with a tiny shrug that made the omega in Elmont whine at the thought of him hurting.

He must have made a sound because Jack’s eyes flickered to his face and for a minute it looked like the alpha was going to take a step towards him before he caught himself.

“Elmont!” Isabelle all but growled and both men jerked around to face her. Elmont winced at the painted on smile that was stretching her lips as she all but glared at him. “You haven’t scented Elmont yet, have you Jack?”

“I don’t think that’s necessary…” Elmont spluttered.

“Elmont doesn’t want an alpha…” Jack muttered at the same time and they both froze as their voices overlapped.

“How did you know that?” Elmont demanded.

Jack swallowed and glanced away. “I overheard you speaking with Joseph. I didn’t mean to, I wasn’t even supposed to be there but you made your views perfectly clear when it came to alphas,” he explained slowly and Elmont felt himself flush under Isabelle’s withering stare.

“And what exactly _was_ Elmont’s view of alphas?” she enquired never once looking away from Elmont’s face.

Jack shook his head as he took a step back and Elmont could see the effort he had to put into the simple move. “It’s not my place to say,” he whispered before rubbing a hand across his nose. “I think I should go and lie down, I’m not feeling too well. If you’d excuse me,” he muttered before turning and striding away, leaving both omegas watching him in concern.

*O*

The faces and colours blurred as Jack stumbled through the crowd. Something sour had curled in his gut when he’d caught Elmont’s scent even as raw need that the smell brought with it clawed at his veins. He wanted something that he couldn’t put into words, something visceral and primal that scared him with its intensity. For a single moment standing beside Isabelle he’d felt powerful, like he had the moment that he’d slotted the crown onto his head but as he moved down the line the feeling had waned until he’d seen Elmont.

He knew that the man was his, was made for him but there was nothing he could do and that thought almost drove him to his knees. Elmont wasn’t Isabelle; he didn’t want or need a knight in shining armour to whisk him off his feet. He didn’t need an adventure to take away the monotony of his life and he surely didn’t need Jack.

Stumbling into his rooms Jack barely managed to bolt the door and make it to his bed when his legs gave out beneath him.

The pain in his chest was now a raging inferno that threatened to burn him alive and before he knew it he was tearing at his clothes, tossing the fine garments to the floor in an effort to ease the burning but not even the night’s air could soothe him.

He’d never heard of a rejected bond, had never had the opportunity to see a bonded pair other than in passing but he’d heard stories. Whispered tales meant to scare children before their dynamic surfaced. People said that an alpha or omega would only reject their partner if there was something wrong with them, if they weren’t worthy enough. No one willingly chose to do such a thing; it was only a last resort because living with a broken bond was one thing but a rejected bond? No one lived after being rejected.

*O*

“Have you lost your mind!” Isabelle snarled as she grabbed Elmont’s arm, towing him away from the crowd of people still milling about the halls.

“What? Where’s he gone?” he spluttered, pulling his arm from hers but Isabelle’s expression just darkened.

“Where do you think he’s gone?” she shot back. “For the love of all things Elmont, what did he hear you say about alphas?”

Elmont frowned at her, trying to think despite the ringing in his ears but it was hard. His skin felt too tight and it was as if he was seeing the princess through a haze. “I’m not certain. I often speak with Joseph but the general gist is that I don’t require an alpha because of what they might try to make me do.”

“Try to make you…” Isabelle trailed off. “Elmont you do realize that the hoodlums that accosted me when I first met Jack were simple betas? I have met hundreds of alphas when I managed to leave the castle, hundreds Elmont and do you know how many of them have even looked at me twice? None!” she snarled before he could even consider answering her question. “They didn’t give me the time of day despite knowing that I was an omega and I wondered why until I asked one of them. He was a little older than I was and in training to be a guard and he told me, he said, “It’s not you, missus but if you knew that somewhere out there, there was a person waiting for you and just for you, why would you look at anyone else?””

“That’s understandable,” Elmont responded but Isabelle just shook her head.

“I’m not finished.” She whispered and the fight seemed to drain from her. “He told me that he’s been looking for years and he finally managed to find his omega but he hadn’t approached her yet despite the fact that he’d loved her the second he saw her. He said that he had nothing to offer her, no reason for her to accept him and if you’d seen him, Elmont. I watched him for days after that and he pushed himself so hard, always trying to be the best, trying to be something that his omega could want,” she sighed. “We’ve spent so many years thinking that our dynamic makes us less that we haven’t realized how hard it is for them. Jack said almost the same thing the morning that his rut started, he said it would’ve been better off if he never manifested because what omega would want him? As a beta he had a choice and I might not have been who he loved but he would’ve chosen me and I’d have accepted that even though we both knew that it would never work that way.”

Isabelle paused and looked away. When she glanced back her eyes were wet but the tears that shimmered there didn’t hide the anger in her gaze. “I promised him that any omega out there would love him, like I could’ve learned to love him and you just….sometimes I wonder if you didn’t fry your brain in that oven,” she growled before whirling away and Elmont was too stunned to do anything but watch her go.

*O*

Jack buried his face in his pillow as he tried to still his hips. His entire body hurt and rubbing against the silk sheets didn’t help in the least. It was like using a feather to try and scratch an itch, if anything it just made him feel worse.

He knew what was happening to him, he’d read the book that Isabelle had slipped beneath his door and he’d listened to the tutors but knowing and actually experiencing it was two different things. He’d been much too embarrassed to admit to anyone that most of the things in the books had just confused him more than they’d helped. It wasn’t as if he’d ever had occasion to dally with anyone, not with his uncle breathing down his neck. Then there was the question of who would spare the time to even cast a glance at a scrawny beta peasant boy.

Isabelle had been the first person to truly pay him any attention and Jack would always love her for that but Isabelle’s affection for him wasn’t what had led him here.

Rolling onto his back Jack spread his legs, his eyes fixed unseeing on the ceiling above his head as his hands moved instinctively to his hardened member. The first brush of his fingers against his flesh made him hiss and he jerked his hand back like he’d been burned even as his hips thrust up into the air searching for something that wasn’t there.

His skin was drenched in sweat and Jack gritted his teeth to keep back the whine that was building in his throat while tears slid down his face.

He didn’t know what to do! His body needed something, he knew what but without a willing mate then all the things that he’d read in those twice damned books were no better than stories created to keep real monsters at bay.

For a second his mind flashed back to Elmont’s face when they’d killed that giant atop the cliff and Jack could almost smell him. Elmont’s scent had woven its way through his senses, obliterating the lingering aroma of all the other omegas and Jack would have rolled in the scent if he could.

This time he couldn’t stop the sound of despair that tore from his throat as he remembered the way that Elmont’s expression had shuttered when he’d glanced at Jack from across the hall.

Elmont didn’t want an alpha; Jack had heard him say so on more than one occasion and Jack couldn’t even think of forcing himself onto someone who didn’t want him.

He’d lived a lifetime of feeling not good enough and if it was his choice he would choose death over a second more of the disdain he’d felt while living with his uncle.

The young man laughed bitterly as he shifted onto his stomach.

It seemed that his great adventure wasn’t going to have the happy ending that the books had promised.

*O*

Elmont couldn’t say how or when he left the festivities behind him; everything from the moment that Isabelle had left was a blur of anger. How dare any of them try to make him feel bad for his choice? Couldn’t they see that Jack was wrong? There was no way that Elmont was Jack’s omega, hell he had seven years not to mention that his suppressants were still good for another two. What good would he be to any alpha especially one like Jack who would most likely want to start a family immediately?

No, it was better if Jack got the thought out of his head and tried to find his real omega. Clearly they’d both experienced a lapse in judgement, it could happen. Scents could be clouded, masked by the scent of another enough to fool even the most sharp nosed. That was what had happened and in the morning Jack would look back on this moment and laugh, they would both laugh at the incredulity of the thing.

Despite the words Elmont couldn’t dislodge the cold ball that seemed to be lodged in his chest and as he made his way to his desk he frowned at himself.

He was being foolish; he had no reason to feel guilty for saving Jack from a lifetime of regret and disappointment. Elmont had never heard of people choosing the wrong mate but of course it must have happened before. If giants and magic beans were possible then what in this world wasn’t?

Lifting his hands to his temple Elmont sank down in his chair as he tried to rub away the headache that was steadily building there.

He just couldn’t get the look of despair that he’d seen on Jack’s face out of his mind. The boy had stood before his king when he was nothing but a peasant and demanded to go on a quest that could have cost him his life. Jack had stood before giants and commanded them all to kneel but Elmont had never seen that expression on his face.

For one quick second, he hadn’t seen the peasant lad who ran where angels feared to tread, he hadn’t even seen the man so hopelessly in love with the idea of being in love that he’d fight giants to keep it. All that Elmont had seen was a shattered boy who wasn’t enough, who would never be enough despite his fine clothes and the crown on his head. He’d seen it and his heart had skipped a beat because he knew he’d been the cause but Jack had been gone before he could explain that it wasn’t Jack’s fault…it wasn’t any of their fault.

Sighing Elmont rose from his seat, before pulling off his clothes and draping them over the back of his chair.

The removed barrier between his skin and the night air did nothing to soothe the heat that was bearing down on him like a cloak.

Elmont grimaced as he wiped a bead of sweat from his cheek.

All he needed was a full night’s sleep and then in the morning he’d be much more prepared to deal with what had happened.

Tomorrow he would go and find Jack. He’d sit the man down and explain to him that whatever fool notion he’d gotten in his head was simply a fantasy that would never work, then the two of them would hunt down Jack’s real partner.

As Elmont stretched out on his bed he kept the though firmly in mind….he didn’t know why it made his chest hurt.

*O*

The pounding at his door woke Elmont the next morning and he blinked blearily at the ceiling. He hadn’t slept well, hadn’t slept at all if he was honest with himself and his weariness was only amplified by the sticky mess that were his sheets.

Grimacing he peeled them off and glowered at the ruined content of his bed.

The pounding became even more insistent and Elmont glowered in the direction of the door as he shoved himself upright.

“Hold your horses, I’m coming!” he yelled, standing on unsteady feet.

Thankfully whoever was at his door seemed to have rather good hearing because the racket stopped almost instantly.

Elmont took the silence as a blessed reprieve as he yanked on his clothes, studiously ignoring the way that the fabric clung to his skin.

After he’d dealt with whoever was at his door he’d need to air the place out because it was as hot as an oven.

Finally reaching the door Elmont pulled it open only to frown at Joseph’s face.

“You do know that I’m not supposed to be on duty today?” he inquired but the other omega just crossed his arms in front of his chest his expression not changing one iota.

“Oh, I am well aware of that and do you know what else I’m aware of? The fact that my wife has been summoned to the castle at day break….”

“The princess….?” Elmont started but Joseph just shook his head.

“The king and the princess are well but the same cannot be said of Jack,” he growled and Elmont swallowed to disguise the flash of guilt that tore through him at the name.

“What’s happened to Jack?” he asked cautiously and if anything Joseph’s expression just darkened.

“What do you think happens to an alpha whose omega has rejected them?” he demanded but Elmont just shook his head, rubbing at his temples with the hand not keeping him braced against his door frame.

“Please tell me that you don’t believe this fairy-tale that Isabelle is so sure is real,” he sighed, closing his eyes for a second before meeting Joseph’s hard gaze. “I am not Jack’s omega. The lad merely made a mistake and a few days from now we’ll both be able to look back on this and laugh but that won’t happen if you all keep encouraging this madness.”

“Madness?” Joseph snarled as he took a step forwards, jabbing his finger at Elmont’s chest. “You think that Jack believe you are his mate is madness?” he continued voice as cold as the winds in the winter. “That is not madness, Elmont. Madness is an omega who cannot see what he is worth with or without his dynamic. Madness is an omega who is so lost that he cannot even imagine accepting the gift being provided for him. Madness is the mad omega who is so lost that he can’t even recognize the signs of his own heat!”

“Heat? Joseph, I don’t know what you….I’m not in heat and Jack is not my alpha!” Elmont snarled.

Joseph stared at him for a long moment and Elmont immediately regretted his outburst but he would not just stand here and be abused. He was the head of the king’s guard not some lost omega who needed shepherding.

“Then if you are so fit and able, you surely won’t mind accompanying me to Jack’s chambers. Surely my Marie would be able to spot a false bond and _enlighten_ both Jack and Isabelle,” Joseph offered up and though Elmont knew that man was up to something he was willing to take the chance if it meant that someone else would have to deal with this foolishness.

*O*

Isabelle didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when she saw Joseph come striding down the corridor with Elmont following closely behind him. Neither man looked happy but Isabelle was beyond caring about that now. She could still hear Jack’s pained cries when Marie ordered that they tie the young alpha down. It had been all that the healer could do to keep Jack from hurting himself even more than he’d already managed to do.

Isabelle scrubbed at her face trying to rid herself of the image of Jack’s skin blistered red. Marie said that he’d most likely done it himself in an effort to get rid of Elmont’s scent but the healer’s calm words did little to quell the fear in Isabelle’s chest.

She knew that alphas were capable of doing immense damage just like their omega counterparts but she’d never imagined that she would see it turned on the alpha himself.

She remembered the way that Jack had bared his teeth at Marie, none of the gentle peasant that Isabelle had come to know in the dark eyes that watched them and a selfish part of her was glad that Marie had demanded that they all leave the room because she didn’t think she could bear another moment with this Jack who was not her Jack.

“How is he?” Joseph asked as soon as he was in hearing range but Isabelle didn’t have the chance to reply when another snarl echoed from the room behind her followed by Marie’s orders to her beta helpers.

Elmont’s eyes flickered to the room at the pained sound and the look in his eyes made Isabelle want to shake him. How could Elmont not understand what Jack was to him when he was standing frozen like the giants themselves had returned to rein death upon them?

“He hasn’t gotten any better,” Isabelle whispered meeting Elmont’s stricken gaze because she was tired of being the strong one here. Jack meant more than her pride and she was willing to beg if it would make Elmont see sense. “Marie says that he’s scrubbed his skin almost raw because the scent of….” She swallowed, raising her chin as she stared at Elmont. “He was trying to get rid of your scent because it reminds him of the rejection. Marie thinks that because Jack is young he doesn’t understand that it wouldn’t help, he was just trying to make it stop hurting,” she explained and Joseph groaned.

“Do you see? If this was such a mistake then why would it be affecting Jack like this?” he implored and Elmont tensed.

“It has to be an error,” he whispered and Isabelle had had enough of the nonsense!

“For God’s sake Elmont what will it take for you to see that the only one in error here is you?! Will you wait until he’s cold on his death bed? Because that is what will happen, he will die without you, how can you not see that?” she beseeched, grabbing at his hands. She could feel the tremors that he’d managed to hide from her before and it made her want to weep. She wanted to cry for Jack, because he didn’t deserve this but she also wanted to cry for Elmont because he was so lost, so unsure of his own worth that it broke her heart. She didn’t understand how she’d never seen it before but Elmont was so good at hiding his emotions that she wasn’t particularly surprised.

“I can’t,” Elmont growled shaking his head but Isabelle didn’t let him pull away, not this time.

“Why, Elmont? If nothing else you owe me at least an explanation, let me know why you’re fighting this, please.” She begged as Jack’s pained cries rang out once more and it was like someone had cut the threads holding Elmont up because he slumped against her, his body curving around hers and Isabelle held him even as Joseph moved to shore them both up. Their scents mixed together, blending into something warm that made Isabelle inhale deeply as she tried to get even more of it, using it to calm the tattered pieces of her mind.

“He was meant for you.” Elmont whispered, his fingers curling in her gown and a part of Isabelle knew that this was improper. She knew that if anyone saw them like this she would be criticized but she wouldn’t have let go if the king himself had demanded that she did. “He was meant for you,” Elmont repeated and his voice was so weary that Isabelle found herself combing her fingers through his hair as Joseph offered up a wordless sound of comfort that made Isabelle’s head spin. “I could see it up there, the way that you looked at each other. Jack was yours, he is yours, how could I compete with that? Who would want a broken, old omega when they had a chance to have you?” Elmont demanded and Isabelle exhaled slowly as she stared at the ceiling.

There were words that she should say, things that should soothe them both but they were lodged in her throat, blocked by the overwhelming surge of jealousy at Elmont’s words because he was right. She had wanted Jack, wanted the man who stood before giants to keep her safe but she wasn’t a fool and it wasn’t meant to be. A part of her had always known that she couldn’t be what Jack needed because when she saw him she’d seen her chance at adventure but Jack wasn’t just some gateway to a new life and he needed someone who understood that, who wanted him for him.

And as much as it hurt her to admit Elmont _was_ that person.

“Elmont, you listen to me,” she started, shoving her uncertainty from her voice as she’d been taught to do because one day she would be Queen and no one would follow a leader who didn’t know her own mind. “I will not lie and say that I did not want Jack because I did. When I looked at him I didn’t see a peasant or a beta, I saw the adventure that would come if I stayed by his side but he already gave me that adventure. I saw new lands and stood before giants,” she whispered, letting her thanks weave its way into her tone even as tears pricked at her eyes. “I saw a peasant named a king and a beta become an alpha. I learned what it meant to stare death in the face and smile, that’s what Jack taught me but he also taught me to love and that’s why I want you to go to him.” Isabelle smiled through her tears when Elmont raised his head and she pressed a palm to his cheek. “You and Jack are the best people I know. You’ve stood beside me when lesser men would run and for that I wish to see you both happy even if it’s with each other.”

Elmont moved to pull away again but this time Joseph was there, helping Isabelle keep him in place.

“The princess is right, Elmont.” The older omega murmured, not flinching when Elmont swung to face him. “If there’s a single person in this place that deserves a chance at happiness it’s you.”

The man’s words seemed to get through where Isabelle’s had been unable to because Elmont glanced at Jack’s closed door with a longing that made Isabelle’s chest hurt just to see it and when Elmont glanced back at her she just smiled and shoved him forward.

“Go to him.” She ordered and for once Elmont obeyed without comment.

*O*

Jack’s skin burned, every breath was a struggle because it brought Elmont’s scent weaving back into his senses and it made him tear at the bonds keeping him immobile. He could vaguely hear the voice of the healer but he couldn’t make himself understand or react to the words. His mind existed in a haze of pain and desire that seemed to want to consume him whole and he wasn’t even ashamed of the wetness on his face, partially because he didn’t know if they were tears or sweat and partially because he was too far gone to care.

It wasn’t as if he’d survive long enough to be embarrassed by any of this.

The thought was a balm on his soul, seeping into that place that felt torn ragged by the rejection that had set him on the spiral into madness.

A part of him demanded that he find his omega, make Elmont see how worthy he was but another part of him cowered at the thought of another rejection because Jack knew that he wouldn’t be able to survive it.

No, this was the better choice. If he remained here and let himself pass then Elmont would be free to live his life as he saw fit. At least in this Jack would be able to be of some help to the man unlike the burden that Elmont clearly saw him as.

“No, you bloody well won’t pass quietly!” the healer’s voice yanked Jack from his thoughts and he bared his teeth at her in a weak snarl even though he hadn’t meant to. Marie seemed to care little for his act of aggression because she just shoved him flat against the bed, her eyes narrowed into mere slits. “I’ve never had a patient die on me because of a failed bond and I damn well won’t start now even if I have to haul your omega in here by his admittedly luscious hair!”

Jack chuckled hoarsely at that and Marie shot him a grateful smile as she moped his brow with a cool cloth that felt like a blessing against his overheated skin.

“His hair _is_ b-beautiful,” he managed to stutter out and Marie snorted.

“Even on your supposed death bed your waxing poetic about him and he still can’t see that he’s your omega.”

Jack opened his mouth to speak but a surge of pain racing up his spine made his teeth clamp together as his fingers twisted in the ropes that they’d bound him with.

He could feel several hands trying to press him back against the bed as his body arched but he could do nothing but cry out as tendrils of flame licked against his skin, making him writhe in agony as he fought the urge to scream.

The pain vanished as quickly as it had come leaving him to sag against the bed, and he turned pressing his tear streaked face into the hand that Marie had rested on his cheek.

“I can’t….” he pleaded, his voice broken as it sliced at his throat like jagged shards of glass. “Please, just let me pass…..”

“And rob this kingdom of their only giant slayer? I think not.”

The familiar voice made Jack’s head whip to the side even as the scent that he’d tried so hard to erase came sweeping over him like a wave and when his eyes met Elmont’s the world around him faded away.

*O*

Marie shot Elmont a hard look that said they’d be having words soon but she didn’t stop him when he moved closer to Jack’s bed.

“If you’re only here to try and convince him that he’s not your alpha then I’d respectfully request that you leave,” she bit out but Elmont just shook his head as he straightened under her narrow eyed gaze.

“I’m not…..” he trailed off, his eyes flicking to the red lines at Jack’s wrists where the alpha had all but rubbed the skin raw. Jack was so still now, his chest barely moving with his breaths and it made something cold curl in Elmont’s chest to realise how close he’d come to losing this. Even if he’d tried to convince himself that he didn’t need an alpha accepting the fact that he’d almost destroyed his own alpha made bile rise in his throat.

Marie searched his face but whatever she found there made her gesture for her workers to leave the room as she grabbed her bag.

“Do not make me regret giving you this chance,” she warned before she was gone, the door slamming ominously in her wake.

Taking another step towards the bed Elmont inhaled the musk that seemed to cling to the air.

“The minute I saw you I knew you would be trouble,” he murmured softly but Jack didn’t react, his glazed eyes tracking Elmont’s every movement like it was the only thing keeping him grounded. The gaze made Elmont feel sick because he’d caused this but he’d damn well try to fix it too.

Tugging at his shirt, Elmont yanked it over his head because he wasn’t a virgin but the same most likely couldn’t be said about the king that was to be his alpha.

The moment that he was close enough to touch, Jack erupted into a whirlwind of movement, his hands tugging at the bindings and Elmont winced in sympathy when a trickle of blood ran down the broken skin.

Swiftly he climbed onto the bed, straddling Jack’s prone frame, his hands going to the ropes.

“Settle,” he ordered, curling his fingers around Jack’s wrists as he tried to keep the lad still.

This close to the other man Jack’s musk was even stronger and Elmont suddenly became aware of the slick he could feel soaking his under clothes. It looked like Joseph had been right after all and the man was going to be insufferable after this but Elmont didn’t have the time to think about Joseph now, not when Jack was staring up at him with wide blue eyes.

“That’s it, Jack, abide,” Elmont whispered as he dipped down using his arms to brace himself. The first brush of his lips against Jack’s made him growl in the back of his throat, the sound melting into a moan when Jack arched up beneath him with a broken whimper.

Jack sucked in a sharp breath as Elmont bit at his lips and the omega used the opportunity to dip his tongue into the man’s mouth, slanting his head to get a better angle while one of his hands slid down to tangle in Jack’s hair, holding the alpha still.

Elmont let Jack break the kiss, shifting so that he could nose at Jack’s neck where the alpha’s scent was strongest.

“Elmont, please,”

The whispered plea made Elmont pull back to glance down at his alpha who looked so utterly lost that it made Elmont’s heart hurt.

“Peace, alpha, let me guide you,” Elmont responded and Jack licked his swollen lips as he nodded once.

Elmont’s fingers dropped to Jack’s bare chest, stroking over the hidden muscles that lurked beneath the man’s skin. He wanted to bare his neck to his alpha, let Jack mark him but he knew that this was all new to the former beta and he’d promised Jack that he would guide him through it.

Elmont had never broken a promise before and he wasn’t going to start now.

“I thought you wouldn’t come,” Jack whispered and Elmont bowed his head, keeping his eyes on his fingers as they slid down to Jack’s stomach.

“I didn’t think I would either,” he admitted on a breath and beneath him Jack tensed instantly. Licking his lips Elmont glanced up to find that the alpha had closed his eyes, his jaw tensed like he was biting back the words that wanted to spill from him but Elmont continued before he could. “I believed that your actions and my own were an error. I’m not foolish; I know that I wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice…”

Jack opened his mouth to interrupt but Elmont shook his head as he straightened, meeting his alpha’s dark eyes.

“You don’t need to placate me with falsehoods. I know how you felt…still feel about Isabelle. If I was a better man I would leave you to her but I find that I cannot risk your life despite my wants. If my body is what you need then I will gladly give it to you, my king.”

*O*

Bile rose in Jack’s throat at Elmont’s words. He could feel how much the man wanted him. He could _smell_ it on Elmont’s skin and the dark, feral thing that dwelled beneath his skin was clawing at his control determined to mark this omega as theirs. But Jack couldn’t ignore the man’s words any more than he could ignore his own needs.

Curling his tongue behind his teeth Jack considered the situation while Elmont stared at him.

Finally he nodded, mostly to himself. Elmont was a protector, it was in his nature and Jack shouldn’t have been surprised that the man was willing to sacrifice his own happiness for someone else. That didn’t mean that Jack was happy about it or willing to let this farce continue.

Licking his lips he nodded again, noting the way that Elmont’s eyes dropped to follow the motion of his tongue.

“Unbind me and we’ll settle this,” Jack implored.

Elmont frowned. “This would be better as you are. You can sate your rut and I will leave. The fault would be mine alone. That way Isabelle will have no reason to doubt your worth.”

Jack barely hid his instinctive grimace as Elmont’s scent soured. It was proof that despite his words Elmont was not as blasé about his plan as he was trying to be.

Curling his fingers into fists Jack held Elmont’s gaze steadily, praying that he would be able to lie without giving himself away. “You can bind me again once this is over. Isabelle doesn’t need to know,” he offered up keeping his voice and expression bland.

Elmont’s cheeks flushed and the scent of his shame and need made Jack’s nose burn. The voice in his head was screaming at him to fix what he’d done but he couldn’t, not when he was bound like some animal.

The scent of Elmont’s distress had all but repressed Jack’s own symptoms and alpha could focus on nothing more than the brave omega who couldn’t see what he was worth.

It was fine for Jack to feel like that because he had lived a life of being put down by his uncle and his peers. The thought of Elmont not being able to see how valuable he was had the blood boiling in Jack’s veins.

Finally Elmont sighed and nodded, reaching over Jack’s head to untie the knots and the alpha had to bite back a whimper when the move gave him a fleeting glimpse of friction just where he needed it.

“I’m willing to be there in your ruts as long as it doesn’t interfere with my patrols,” Elmont was saying and Jack closed his eyes, trying to block out the hollow cadence of his omega’s voice as Elmont’s fingers brushed against his wrists. “With the appropriate measures I won’t become with child so there will be no question of your lineage when you lay with Isabelle. All I ask is that our arrangement not leave these chambers. I won’t have my men seeing me as anything other than their commander.”

Jack gritted his teeth to keep his mouth shut as Elmont moved to his other hand.

Patience was the key here and he only had three more bonds to go.

*O*

Elmont concentrated on the task at hand, ignoring the way that his skin tingled every time his fingers brushed against Jack’s wrist. Swallowing he dropped the ropes to the bed before moving to Jack’s feet. Thankfully the alpha seemed much more in control of himself and Jack hadn’t argued with Elmont’s plan. He was certain that the King understood that this was the only way he could be with who he truly loved. He knew that Jack might have felt some level of guilt but as this was Elmont’s decision the alpha could claim innocence if ever confronted about it. Or he could deny that anything had happened between them, which was what Elmont would be doing as soon as Jack’s rut was over.

The final bond fell beneath his fingers and Elmont slipped from the bed. He was aware of Jack’s eyes on him as he opened his trousers but he paid that little attention. He was going to have to ask Joseph for some assistance because his undergarments were soaked. It was only after he’d stripped those too that he turned his face towards the bed, starting in confusion when he realised that it was empty.

“I find it _odd_ that most of the people who reside in this castle think I’m too stupid to make my own decisions.”

The voice came from directly behind Elmont and every instinct was screaming athim to turn around because he could feel the heat rolling off Jack’s body, so close was he but Elmont held his ground. Jack was an honourable man and Elmont wouldn’t dishonour him by being distrustful.

Hot fingers pressed against Elmont’s stomach at the same moment that Jack took a step forward, his clothes brushing Elmont’s naked back.

Elmont held himself still as Jack’s fingers slid downwards until the rough skin of his palm was pressed just above Elmont’s groin.

The omega’s lips fell open on a gasp when Jack’s hips thrust forward in a rolling motion that sent sparks flaring from the tip of his toe to the hair of his head.

“I’m not stupid, Elmont.”

Jack’s voice was a rumbling growl that Elmont could all but taste on the air and his face flushed as his body responded to the alpha’s tone.

“I didn’t say that you were, sire,” he responded, trying to keep his tone light despite the slick leaking down his thighs.

His heat had never been like this, not even before the regiment of herbs that he’d taken after joining the King’s guard but everything about Jack was throwing his mind into a tailspin. He needed distance, needed to maintain some sort of façade or only God knew what would be left of him when Jack moved on to Isabelle.

“You’re not saying it but you _are_ thinking it,” Jack retorted and Elmont barely managed to swallow the yelp that tried to force its way past his teeth when the man’s hands dipped even further. The tips of Jack’s fingers feathered over the head of his cock and Elmont shivered when the younger man hummed beneath his breath, peering over Elmont’s shoulder so he could watch his own hands.

“Jack….” Elmont started but the alpha just shushed him, his free hand pressing Elmont backwards until he was tight against Jack’s body.

“I’ve done this much before and I wish to learn the man that is to be mate.”

Elmont wanted to protest Jack’s words because he knew that this was the man’s rut talking. After he’d been sated Jack would return to Isabelle. The knowledge of what was to come was the only thing that kept Elmont on his feet when Jack’s fingers curled around him, stroking his cock from root to tip.

Elmont’s head fell back, hips thrusting into the channel of Jack’s fingers as he stared sightlessly at the ceiling.

*O*

Jack couldn’t bite back the growl that rumbled from his chest when Elmont sagged against him. He could smell the spike in the omega’s desire, the scent weaving its way into his head but Jack could also feel the tension that still remained in the knight’s muscles.

The thing that existed in the darker edges of his mind demanded that he claim the omega, mark Elmont so that no one could question who the man belonged to but Jack wanted Elmont to agree to that. Anything else was too dishonourable to be considered, so he stamped down on his baser urges as he watched Elmont chase his own pleasure.

There was a throbbing ache at the base of Jack’s cock that flared every time that Elmont’s body pressed back against him and it was all he could do to not just let himself rut against the other man.

Pressing his lips to Elmont’s skin, Jack bit lightly, reacting to an instinct that he couldn’t even put into words. He knew that he’d done something right when Elmont arched, his nails digging into Jack’s arm as his cock spilled into Jack’s hand.

*O*

Elmont sucked in a much needed breath as he rested his head on Jack’s shoulders, watching in a daze as the alpha raised his hand to his own lips, licking at Elmont’s essence like it was the ambrosia of the Gods.

His cock stirred again when Jack’s dark eyes met his and Elmont pulled away, standing for a moment on unsteady legs before he tugged Jack to him.

The alpha came willingly, sitting on the bed and for a second Elmont thought he’d be able to get things back under control but as soon as he was seated Jack reached out to tug Elmont down onto his lap.

The hiss that escaped Elmont, when his sensitive cock rubbed against the silk soft material of Jack’s trousers, was smothered by the alpha’s lips and Elmont found himself being rolled onto his back before he could gather his wits.

Jack pulled back with a growl when the need for air became tantamount and it took Elmont a moment to recognize that the other man was saying something.

“Mine!”

The snarled word jerked Elmont from his daze and his hand came up to press against Jack’s chest to shove the alpha off but the lad collapsed against him, curling around Elmont like a child.

“Please, please say you’re mine…..”

Gone was the predatory alpha and all Elmont could hear was the peasant boy who’d begged a king to go rescue a princess.

The omega in him reared to life, desperate to take what was theirs but still Elmont hesitated, his mind flickering to tears that had been in Isabelle’s eyes as she gave him her blessing. He couldn’t hurt her like this, couldn’t take something that she’d spent her life looking for while he’d spent his life running away from it.

“Please.”

This time the word was little more than a breath but Elmont could feel moisture on his skin where Jack’s face was pressed against his shoulder and his heart _hurt_.

He loved Isabelle like a sister, like his own child but he wanted this, he wanted this alpha who was willing to turn down a princess for him. He wanted Jack with an intensity that made his skin burn and before he knew what he was doing, he was urging Jack’s face up and towards his own.

The second that their lips met again, Elmont knew he would never be able to give this up.

*O*

Jack gasped into the kiss when Elmont’s fingers began to claw at his open shirt. He pulled back only long enough to rip the thing off and toss it away before he was dipping down again, swallowing Elmont’s whine as it hit the air.

Strong thighs came up to wrap around his hips and Jack rolled them over until Elmont was above him, his heart thundering when the omega pulled away but the knight made no move to leave.

Instead Elmont straightened his spine and pressed his hands against Jack’s chest, hips rocking in a dirty rhythm that made Jack’s skin flush with heat and he grasped at Elmont’s hips, fingers slipping over his sweat slick skin.

Elmont looked wild, like some old God above him and Jack’s cock _ached_ for more than this teasing friction.

His emotions must have been clear to see because Elmont’s fingers were at the laces of his trousers before he could utter a word.

Jack choked on a breath when Elmont’s fingers trailed along the length of his cock.

The knight met his eyes with a slow smirk as he dipped down until his breath was ghosting along the sensitive skin at the base of Jack’s member.

The first touch of Elmont’s tongue hit him like a mule’s kick to the stomach and Jack’s head fell back against the pillows while his hips bucked upwards.

Jack’s fingers tangled in the sheets when Elmont’s tongue danced across the head of his member and he tried to grasp some sense of control but the moment that Elmont took him fully into his mouth all Jack could do was hold on.

His body blazed like the midday sun. All he could feel was the wet heat wrapped around him and the cooler spot where Elmont’s free hand was splayed across his stomach forcing him back down as his hips writhed beneath the assault.

Then as quickly as it had come Elmont was pulling off him, lips tinged red and swollen by his actions.

As the man crawled back up his body Jack reached out, brushing his thumb against the corner of Elmont’s mouth. When the knight turned his head into the caress something unravelled in Jack’s chest and he smiled up at his mate even as Elmont wrapped his fingers around Jack’s wrist forcing it down onto the bed as he rocked himself against Jack’s cock.

The move made the young alpha arch but Elmont just smirked down at him.

“Settle, alpha, this is where you enjoy yourself,” he whispered and Jack tensed as Elmont’s fingers curled around him again.

*O*

Elmont stared down at the young man beneath him as he positioned Jack’s cock. He knew that with his heat raging through him he had little need for preparation but he still moved slowly as his body enveloped his alpha’s.

Elmont let his eyes close as his body stretched to accommodate Jack’s. He could feel his thighs shaking as he lowered himself and the hand on his hip tightened even though Jack remained as still as a rock.

“You are beautiful.”

Elmont’s eyes snapped open at the words but Jack met his gaze steadily never once trying to look away.

“At first I thought that I wanted to be you, because you were everything I wanted to be, but after the giants, after I truly saw you, I knew that I did not wish to emulate you. I wanted to have you as my own.”

A gentle roll of Jack’s hips made Elmont start, slipping down faster than he’d planned for and he felt something shift when instead of thrusting upwards Jack stilled again.

“Do you know how ungrateful I felt to not be able to return Isabelle’s love? I wanted to want her but I couldn’t because all that I could see was you….”

“Jack…” Elmont started but the alpha shook his head as he rocked his hips in a gentle motion that eased more of his cock into Elmont and the knight could feel his slick wetting the rich material of the trousers bunched just beneath Jack’s hips.

“I wanted you for so long and then my body gave you to me but I couldn’t accept that because who would want me? A peasant turned king, a ruffian who dreamed of being a knight…of bedding a knight?”

Elmont shook his head even as he moved unable to resist the siren’s call of lust that burned beneath his skin.

“You can’t say things like that about a king.”

“Even a king who would give his crown for just a crumb of your affection? What good is such a king to anyone?”

Straightening Elmont realised that this was the moment when he could either pull back or give in to what they both wanted. Swallowing he stared into Jack’s eyes.

“Then you cannot say such a thing about my alpha,” he retorted, letting himself fall until his hips were pressed tightly against Jack’s. Then he could say nothing more.

His heat flared like a bonfire surging through his veins and he bared his teeth at the alpha beneath him when Jack tried to slow the rolling of his hips.

Gods above, he’d heard whispered tales of matings but he’d never imagined…..

Elmont’s thoughts trailed off into nothing when Jack yanked his hand free of the grip Elmont didn’t realize that he’d still held on the young alpha.

Clutching his hips Jack thrust upwards hard enough to jar Elmont’s entire body and Elmont’s head fell forward as he rode out the move.

Heat and desire collided beneath his skin and his nails dug into Jack’s chest, uncaring of the blood that spilled beneath his hands as he rode the alpha, rocking back against the knot that he could feel swelling at the base of Jack’s cock.

Suddenly one of Jack’s hands was in his hair yanking him down and Elmont laughed wildly as the alpha mashed their lips together.

The omega in him wouldn’t be tamed and he only allowed Jack a few shared breaths before shifting forward to bite at the base of the man’s neck.

Jack snarled and the next thing Elmont knew the world went flying as the alpha rolled them over.

His fingers sought the brace of the headboard as he hooked his legs over the alpha’s thighs.

The first slam back inside made Elmont howl, his eyes wet with tears even as laughter bubbled from his chest because this was what he wanted…what he had wanted for so long but never had the heart to search for.

Wrapping his legs around Jack’s waist Elmont urged him on, keeping his eyes glued to his alpha’s as Jack lost himself to his pleasure.

Jack’s eyes were closed, his dark hair swinging about his face with each thrust and Gods it was good but Elmont wanted more!

Reaching up he grasped Jack’s shoulder, holding his words until the alpha opened his dark eyes.

“Knot me.”

His demand was growled out in a voice that was so foreign to him that he wouldn’t have believed it had come from him under any other circumstance.

Jack’s thrusts slowed at that as he dipped down, pausing just inches from Elmont’s lips and the knight smirked at the wariness in the other man’s eyes.

“You can kiss me…I won’t bite.”

Jack ground his hips upwards at that and Elmont choked on his laughter as stars danced before his eyes even as Jack pressed teasing kisses along his jaw.

There was a question in the man’s eyes now, a question that Elmont fully understood and he twisted his head to the side, baring his neck to the young king.

Jack stared at him for a stunned moment but at Elmont’s nod he growled, a low feral sound that echoed through Elmont’s skin when Jack pressed his lips to his neck at the same time that he thrust forward hard enough to shove his knot _in_. Elmont’s mind unravelled at the very moment that Jack’s teeth sank into his skin and around him the world did the same even as Jack panted above him.

His fingers found Jack’s shoulders as the thrusts turned into a grind that made Jack’s cock rub against _that_ spot while the knot stretched him. He tried to gasp for breath but there was none and his right hand pressed Jack tighter to him as the alpha whined in confusion when Elmont tightened around him even more.

And then the moment shattered and there was nothing but _alpha, alpha, alpha,_ coursing through Elmont’s mind as Jack’s seed flooded his body.

He would owe Isabelle an apology after this but Elmont wouldn’t change this moment for the world.

*O*

Elmont stood atop the northern tower, his eyes finding the practicing knights below. There had been no backlash from his mating, if anything his knights seemed to act like they had been in the know all along.

He hadn’t given up any of his duties and had only agreed to wear the ceremonial robes when Jack decided to venture into some strange land to make allegiances.

A familiar scent tickled his nose and Elmont smirked but didn’t turn around, content to wait his mate out.

Jack stepped from the shadows, lips curved into a knowing grin and Elmont had to admit that he was quite fond of the sight of his alpha in red.

“Tell me that you’re not up here moping about the new recruits again,” Jack teased and Elmont cocked a brow at his mate.

“It’s not my fault that good recruits are so hard to find. These ones could hardly find their arses if I personally drew them a map,” he retorted, shooting Jack a glare when the younger man chuckled.

“I could have sworn that I heard Joseph say the same thing about you once,” Jack commented lightly and Elmont snorted even as he flushed.

“Yes, well that was not my best moment,” he admitted because honestly if it hadn’t been for Joseph and Isabelle he had no idea where he would be now.

“What, like the moment when you were almost oven baked?” Jack retorted.

This time Elmont turned so that his mate could get the full force of his glare. “Jack as your mate I am bound to you until death,” he remarked and Jack nodded “That does not mean I cannot inflict bodily harm….” Elmont trailed off as Jack took a step back and then another before sprinting back into the castle.

Elmont counted to ten before following his mate with a smirk….after all he had to do his bit to stay on Karma’s good side.


End file.
